New and Improved for 2009: Victorian Childhood:What was life like for 5-10 year olds at the time of the US Centennial in 1876? Students role-play life from dressing in the morning to playing with toys in the evening. They to school and practice their handwriting and set a table for dinner. The emphasis then (and now) was on etiquette.Primary. 2.5 hours. Quilts Tell Stories: Students examine quilts and learn the history of quilt making and design through viewing the exhibition: Layers: Unfolding the Stories of Chester County Quilts. Quilt stories and hands-on activities with color and pattern helps student discover the art, math and history in quilts. Primary and Intermediate.. 2 hours.
Tall Case Clocks/Time Telling: What makes a clock tick? Students learn about the mechanisms that run classic tall clocks in the CCHS galleries and participate in time-related games and activities.
Primary. 1 hour.
Then & Now: How is a felt hat like a pair of sunglasses? What does a lantern have in common with a flashlight? Students sharpen their skills of observations, comparison and analysis, learning that design and materials change, but human needs stay the same.
Primary. 1 hour.
Growing Up in Colonial Chester County: After an introductory A/V presentation, students discover how children prepared for their life’s work 250 years ago. As apprentices, students try on reproduction clothing, assemble a Chippendale Chair, construct line and berry inlay, churn butter and weigh butter cakes on a balance scale.
Intermediate. 2-1/2 hours.
War Comes to Chester County: When American and British soldiers converged on Chester County in the fall of 1777, few could imagine the dramatic impact on soldiers and civilians alike during the next nine months. After a narrated A/V introduction that shows Chester County’s part in the American Revolution, students analyze primary source material, practice military drill, and role-play as soldiers and civilians caught in war.
Intermediate. 2- 1/2 hours.
Chester County and the Underground Railroad: Because Chester County is just over the Mason-Dixon Line, dramatic slave escapes and kidnapping took place in our own back yard. An introductory video, role-play activities and a decision making challenge helps students to understand the complexities of the slavery issue in the years leading up to the Civil War.
Intermediate. 2 hours.
A Walk Through History: West Chester becomes an outdoor museum for students. The experience includes a 30 minute A /V orientation, learning six clues to finding the old among the new in an urban environment. Then, students use the clues during a 90 minute guided walk through the historic county seat. For this activity, the student/chaperone ratio is one chaperone for every FIVE students.
Intermediate and secondary. 2 hours.
Pennsylvania State Academic Standards [PDF]
